GLK a no-show for Oz

The new small prestige SUV from Mercedes-Benz will apparently star in the upcoming feature film version of 'Sex in the City', but it won't be appearing on the red carpet at a showroom anywhere near you.

We've covered the GLK travails in the past (more here), but some more spy pics have been airmailed to us, courtesy of the pigeon fanciers and master spy photographers at Carparazzi.

According to Carparazzi, the GLK will be built on the 204 Series C-Class platform and is expected to debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show as a 2009 model with a 3.5-litre V6 and 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the GLK is no more likely to come to Australia than it was when we first reported that the new Benz would not be built in RHD form.

As we reported previously, Managing Director of MB in Australia, Horst von Sanden paid a visit to Germany to mount an argument in favour of building the GLK in right-hook form. He was supported by Benz in the UK, but other RHD markets have been reluctant to commit to the GLK, according to David McCarthy, Senior Manager Corporate Communications at the Benz HQ in Mulgrave.

"It was a robust discussion -- and it's still possible down the track -- however at this point, [the GLK] isn't coming to Australia", he said.

"It needs a stronger business case. We feel very confident the vehicle would sell very well, as do the UK, but there are other markets that perhaps aren't as ambitious or as confident -- and we need their numbers to make it work."

The RHD markets that have said no to the GLK are believed to be South Africa, Japan and other Asian countries. Pessimistic forecasts for the GLK are one thing, but another significant stumbling block is the market perception in some countries that LHD is more 'prestigious' than RHD. Why buy an ex-factory RHD GLK, when in some markets like Japan and Britain, LHD cars are permitted on the roads without conversion anyway?

The decision to build the GLK in just LHD form comes as BMW introduces a new entry-level X3 model with 2.0-litre turbodiesel to the Australian market, buttressing the existing range (more here).

Leaving the last word on GLK to McCarthy: "We really believe it would be a great addition to the range and would sell in good numbers, but...steering wheel's on the wrong side."

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